Ever since he could understand the notion — and probably before that — Tyler Garcia was supposed to take over his parents' beloved market and restaurant, La Tejana. And, for just as long, he was being prepared to execute that plan; his childhood and adolescence were spent working in the family's St. Ann tienda, learning the business and recipes in preparation for the day he would take the mantle. He accepted his birthright, even embraced it, but there was always a little voice inside of him that told him to keep looking for the next thing.
Now, a couple of decades later, Garcia has not simply found that next thing; he has realized his calling in the form of Locoz Tacoz (7374 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-202-8367), the delightful food-truck-turned-restaurant that opened in the heart of Maplewood's bustling business district in April. Anchored by his family's traditional recipes but informed by his experience growing up in St. Louis, Locoz Tacoz feels like much more than a delicious taco spot; it's a poignant window into the experiences that informed who Garcia has become.
Though Locoz Tacoz has only been open in its current storefront for roughly four months, its roots go much deeper — even further back than 2014, which is when the brand launched as a food truck. Garcia remembers the spark for his current operation being lit well over a decade ago when he was still deeply involved in La Tejana. One evening, while out and about running errands for his parents' store, Garcia saw a sign on another restaurant's window announcing that it had just received a prestigious award. He knew his parents' food — which at that point was limited to a taco counter inside the grocery store — was outstanding, and with the right tweaks it too could be recognized with such accolades. He returned to the store filled with an infectious energy, which ultimately helped push his parents into expanding La Tejana's food offerings outside of the market and into a space of its own.
La Tejana's expansion was a roaring success, propelling the Garcia family's restaurant into the conversation as one of the area's most vital places for traditional Mexican cuisine. But Garcia was on to the next thing again, this time a taco truck that would take the restaurant's beloved fare to the streets and hopefully expand its audience. In 2012, he and his father launched the La Tejana truck and were again impressed with the reception. Originally, the idea was to simply do a mobile version of the restaurant's fare, but the more Garcia got into it, the more he started to put his own spin on things, which eventually prompted him and his father to rebrand the truck as Locoz Tacoz in 2014.
The rebrand was Garcia's stepping out, and as it gained a following, he took over the truck so that his father could focus all of his attention on La Tejana. Eventually, its success led to a partnership with Amsterdam Tavern and its adjacent restaurant space, dubbed Tres Equis, which opened in February of 2021 and his involvement lasted for roughly one year. At that point, Garcia realized he was ready to operate a storefront of his own, and after a difficult real estate journey and a year-long construction delay, he welcomed his first guests into Locoz Tacoz's first true standalone spot.
The moment you walk inside the former Jimmy John's in the heart of Maplewood's downtown business district, you can feel that this is the form Locoz Tacoz was always supposed to take — and the restaurant Garcia was meant to operate. The place is positively buzzing with electricity; the counter service setup is often packed, as guests line up all the way to a front door, entertained with Latin music playing through the restaurant's sound system. This same energy carries through to the open kitchen, where the staff is poised to make your order at lightning speed, waiting by the cash register to see what you're getting before the person taking your order has time to fire it. Even at its busiest, food comes out quickly and steaming hot.
Fish tacos are another worthy offering. At Locoz Tacoz, they diverge from the typical SoCal playbook (fried fish, cabbage) in favor of blackened tilapia that delivers a warm, savory heat. Garcia and company dress the taco in shredded lettuce, tomatoes, queso fresco and a signature creamy hot sauce; the latter two form a decadent goo that coats every bite.
Burritos hit the exact spot you want them to hit: packed with juicy meat — in this particular case, al pastor pork — chile-seasoned rice, perfectly cooked pinto beans, a generous amount of cheese and enough jalapeños to cut through the richness but not take over. Street tacos, too, offer exactly what you want from the form. Dressed classically with cilantro and chopped white onions, they are wonderfully simple vehicles to experience the restaurant's delicious meats, such as the outstanding tinga, which is a mix of chopped chicken and chorizo that has been slow-cooked with grilled onions and chipotle to develop a mouthwatering, earthy heat. The campechano, a mix of grilled steak and chorizo, also benefits from the sausage's fat and seasoning, enveloping the meat in a delectable chili-infused jus. The asada, or simply grilled steak, is just as beautiful on its own thanks to its tender mouthfeel and black-peppery taste.
You taste that street corn — or the simply dressed tacos or flawlessly cooked quesadilla — and you understand that, in addition to the vibrant branding, modern energy and dancing taco mascot, there is real substance to Locoz Tacoz. It's the sort of substance that can only have come from someone who knows his roots, mixed with the forward-looking enthusiasm of someone who wants to see how far he can grow from them. Someone exactly like Garcia.
Open Tues.-Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (Closed Mon.)
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